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I'm trying to secure my computer against local network attacks for when I'm at university or a LAN party.

Although my dad's computer store is also running a Windows Server so it might be handy to check it against.

So, is there any specialized software that does some tests against a computer to see if it's properly secured?

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migrate to security.stackexchange.com? – Rory Alsop Apr 6 '11 at 13:51
@RoryAlsop: Nice spot, didn't know that site, but... Migrating to beta sites is discouraged and there is no migrate path set either. You might suggest to them on their meta that questions exist on communities like Super User so questions like these get migrated when the site goes out of beta... – Tom Wijsman Apr 6 '11 at 13:58
good stuff. Hopefully it'll get out of beta very soon. Or at least within 6 - 8 weeks. – Rory Alsop Apr 6 '11 at 15:10
As per the faq, Security Stack Exchange is for Information Security professionals to discuss protecting assets from threats and vulnerabilities. Topics include web app hardening, network security, phishing, risk management, policies, penetration testing, tools and using cryptography. – Rory Alsop Apr 6 '11 at 16:33
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3 Answers

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There's always BackTrack Linux, which is specialised for penetration testing.

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up vote 2 down vote

You could try the Nessus vulnerability scanner. I have never personally used it, but it is considered the best and I have heard nothing but good things about it. Plus it's free! I asked another admin I work with about it and he said they used it the ISP he worked for previously, he reiterated that it is second to none.

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What you linked to does not appear to be free and I could not find anything free on the site. Are you sure he was talking about something from Nessus? – paradroid Apr 6 '11 at 14:00
@paradroid sorry for all the edits, but if you click the obtain activation code button you can register it for free it comes up with option to use for home or corporate use (corporate you have to pay for). here is the register link: tenable.com/products/nessus/nessus-homefeed – Kyle Apr 6 '11 at 14:32
Oh, okay, thanks. – paradroid Apr 6 '11 at 14:38
@paradroid NP it confused me at first too. +1 for you as well. – Kyle Apr 6 '11 at 14:40
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up vote 1 down vote

See this question on security stackexchange. It includes a wide range of tools for many kinds of tests.

Also, the related links sidebar for that question has a wealth of information!

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